Kaplan Landau LLP
26 Broadway
New York, New York 10004
Tel. (212) 593-1700 Fax (212) 593-1707
Website: kaplanlandau.com® For Firm Information

The Firm

Kaplan Landau LLP was established in the Fall of 1985.  Since then, the Firm has been successfully engaged in major corporate and commercial litigation, and white collar criminal defense, throughout the United States for a wide range of clients.

The Firm provides a unique service to clients by bringing the partners’ large law firm  and government experience into a boutique environment.  The Firm’s clients benefit from the partners’ experience without the higher legal fees  or multiple staffing common in large law firm practice.  Matters are typically staffed so that clients receive cost effective service at a senior level.  As a result, clients have direct and regular contact with the partner in charge, who is actively engaged in the matter and therefore familiar with all aspects of preparation, strategy and litigation.  This avoids layers of lawyers typically assigned to overlapping or delegated litigation tasks. 

Practice Areas

The Firm has successfully represented a wide range of Fortune 100 to mid-size companies and high net worth individuals, including clients involved in the ownership, development, construction and management of commercial and residential real estate; securities, banking and financial fields; hedge funds; aviation and charter air carriers; government contractors; publishers; consumer and industrial product manufacturers; healthcare providers; insurance carriers, brokers and agents; food service suppliers and restaurants; and patent, trademark and copyright owners and sellers of branded merchandise. The practice of the Firm consists almost entirely of litigation, including general commercial litigation, banking, securities, antitrust, real estate, environmental, white collar criminal defense, intellectual property, unfair competition and false advertising, insurance, employment termination, discrimination, and other litigation matters in state and federal trial and appellate courts, arbitration panels and before administrative and regulatory agencies

Partners’ Backgrounds

The Firm’s partners are Mark Landau and Eugene Neal Kaplan..

Prior to forming the Firm, Mark Landau practiced for 10 years in the litigation and antitrust department of Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays & Handler where he was involved in major corporate litigation including contract actions, accountant’s liability, and antitrust cases among others. Mr. Landau graduated magna cum laude from Colgate University where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and from New York University Law School where he was an Arthur Garfield Hays Fellow. Mr. Landau has lectured on accountant’s liability issues, international standby letters of credit, and legal ethics. E-mail: mlandau@kaplanlandau.com

Prior to forming the Firm, Eugene Neal Kaplan was Senior Litigation Counsel and Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted white collar and other crimes, developed expertise in international extradition matters and the Classified Information Procedures Act and supervised other Assistant United States Attorneys. He graduated with honors from New York University and Cornell Law School, where he was Editor of the Cornell Law Review and thereafter clerked for United States District Judge John M. Cannella, S.D.N.Y. Mr. Kaplan has lectured on trial advocacy at Cardozo and Fordham Law Schools and on extradition and RICO at international legal seminars.

E-mail: enkaplan@kaplanlandau.com

Associate Attorneys
Valerie A. Phillips joined the firm in 2005, after being a litigation associate at Faust Roy Mangold & Fuchs, LLP. Ms. Phillips graduated with honors from Brown University in 1998 and from Cornell Law School, where she was an Editor of the Cornell International Law Journal, in 2001. Upon graduation, Ms. Phillips served as an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the Affirmative Litigation Division of the New York City Law Department. She has experience with a broad variety of matters and proceedings, including complex commercial arbitrations, construction litigation, insurance coverage disputes, and real estate litigation. E-mail: vphillips@kaplanlandau.com

Patrick Train-Gutiérrez joined the Firm after being a litigation associate with Holme Roberts & Owen, LLP in Denver, Colorado. Mr. Train-Gutiérrez graduated from the University of Denver with a degree in Accountancy, and, in 2001, received his law degree from Cornell Law School, where he was an Editor of the Journal of Law and Public Policy. Upon graduation, Mr. Train-Gutiérrez clerked for the Honorable Jaime Pieras Jr., in the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. Mr. Train-Gutiérrez is experienced in a wide variety of litigation including commercial litigation, copyright enforcement and product liability. Mr. Train-Gutiérrez is fluent in Spanish and has represented clients from Latin America and Spain in U.S. domestic litigation matters.

E-mail: ptrain-gutierrez@kaplanlandau.com

Mary Cecilia Sweeney joined the firm in 2008. Ms. Sweeney graduated from Fordham Law School, where she was a Notes and Articles Editor of the Fordham Law Review, in 2003. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Sweeney was associated with Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. She has experience with a variety of matters and proceedings, including ERISA and federal securities law class actions, insurance coverage disputes, commercial landlord/tenant proceedings, state and city administrative hearings, arbitrations, and civil and criminal state court proceedings. E-mail: msweeney@kaplanlandau.com

Paul C. Evans joined the Firm in 2008. Mr. Evans graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Missouri with a degree in history and from Washington University School of Law, where he served as Executive Notes and Projects Editor for the Washington University Journal of Law & Policy. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Evans was an assistant attorney general in the litigation division of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. He has litigation experience in products liability, complex business, entertainment, and civil rights matters. E-mail: pevans@kaplanlandau.com

Alfred M.  Marks, formerly Trademark Counsel at CBS Inc., joined the Firm as of counsel in March 1992 and concentrates on trademark matters.  Mr. Marks graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton and from the Columbia University School of Law in 1953.  E-mail: amarks@kaplanlandau.com

The following Internet addresses at kaplanlandau.com® for independent, law-related public information websites, are provided for information and education only.  These listings do not imply any endorsement or affiliation of the Firm by, of, or with, the listed organizations. 

American Bar Association: www.abanet.org Courts: U.S. All Court Links: www.uscourts.gov/courtlinks
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit: www.ca2.uscourts.gov
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit: www.fedcir.gov
U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (S.D.N.Y.): www.nysd.uscourts.gov
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York (E.D.N.Y.): www.nyed.uscourts.gov
Court selected recent rulings (S.D.N.Y.): www.nysd.uscourts.gov/courtweb
New York State Unified Court System (with link to “Statement of
Client’s Rights” and “Statement of Client’s Responsibilities”): www.courts.state.ny.us/ 
International Trademark Association: www.inta.org
New York State Bar Association: www.nysba.org
New York State laws: http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/nycodes/
Securities and Exchange Filings (EDGAR): www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml
U.S. Copyright Office: www.copyright.gov
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office: www.uspto.gov
Updates and other information on legal developments and Internet sites will appear periodically at the kaplanlandau® website.

Legal Notice

Kaplan Landau LLP does not establish attorney-client relationships by e-mail or over the Internet nor do we give legal advice to persons who are not clients of the Firm.  E-mail to the Firm does not create an attorney-client relationship.  The Firm’s website is for information only and is not intended to solicit clients, does not constitute legal advice and should not be acted upon without consulting legal counsel.  Persons interested in retaining the Firm for a legal matter should contact one of the partners to arrange an appointment to discuss their specific situation and terms of retention.  The partners of Kaplan Landau LLP are admitted only in New York State, but have appeared by court permission with local counsel in other jurisdictions.

 © 2008 Kaplan Landau LLP